The local sources of Suwayda has uncovered a new humanitarian scandal involving the de facto authority. It was revealed that the so-called “donation campaign” held in the village of Al-Surah under the slogan “Suwayda is from us and for us” was nothing but a political show disguised to market the government and international projects as “new donations” for the province.
Field facts and confirmed information from within the participating organizations revealed that the funds promoted as “donations” are originally annual financial allocations from the Ministries of Energy and Water and the Red Crescent. These were approved since the beginning of the year within the official budgets, only to be later repackaged with a fake humanitarian facade.
Representatives of the donor organizations confirmed that the published figures do not represent any new support, but are rather part of the periodic budget that the provincial authority is trying to recycle to achieve political and media gains.
A Demonstrative Event with a Sectarian Tone
Instead of being a humanitarian act, the event turned into a provocative political play held in an occupied village without the presence of its original inhabitants. Instead, delegations from Bedouin tribes were hosted to polish the scene and marginalize the true sons of the region.
Public anger was further intensified because the celebration took place in a location designated for religious rites and burial ceremonies for the Druze sect. It was accompanied by provocative songs and slogans such as: “Suwayda is ours until the Day of Judgment,” which was considered a direct insult to the dignity of the people and a manipulation of religious symbols to achieve political goals.
Symbolic Representation and Figureheads
Confirmed information indicates that those who appeared at the event in traditional Druze attire represent only themselves, and their participation was nothing but a political disguise intended to delude both domestic and international audiences into believing there is “popular representation.” This approach reflects the authority’s continued practice of exporting figureheads and marketing false fronts.
The Turkish Presence… A Dangerous Message
Alongside this, the presence of representatives from the Turkish Justice and Development Party at the event raised serious questions about Ankara’s role in fueling tribal and sectarian tendencies within southern Syria, at a time when the focus should be on de-escalation, not igniting strife.
A Violation of the Amman Agreement’s Terms
Despite all the slogans about “development and donation,” the government forces did not withdraw from the village of Al-Surah as stipulated by the Amman Agreement roadmap. This constitutes an implicit admission of non-compliance with an agreement that was formulated without the genuine participation of the Druze community, the direct stakeholders in the political and security future of their region.
The Conclusion:
What happened in the village of Al-Surah was neither a “donation” nor a “humanitarian initiative.” It was a documented scandal of politicizing the humanitarian file and employing it to serve domestic and foreign agendas, in total disregard for the suffering and rights of the people.